Explore every episode of the podcast The Music Universe Podcast

Last month, genre-defying artist Lily Rose released her long-awaited first full-length album, I Know What I Want, independently via Lily Rose Music. The project marks a defining moment in Rose's career, a project shaped by persistence, creative freedom, and a deep love for the songs themselves.

Over the last four years, Rose has written nearly 800 songs, thoughtfully curating the 13-track collection. Some songs are newer additions to her catalog, while others have long held a place in her heart, waiting for the right moment to be heard.

The album reflects an important shift. For the first time in years, Rose felt she had true creative control, and the result is a project that represents her refusal to stay down, her commitment to get back up, and her clarity of vision.

"I signed my first record deal just shy of five years ago. I think I really needed to find myself as part of the Music Row community," Rose tells us exclusively. "I had been in Nashville plenty of years beforehand, and going after this career, but we took a lot of time making sure that I had the correct songwriters in the room with me and all of that to make some magic happen. We wrote a lot of songs. I would've loved to have an album out a little bit sooner, but I couldn't be happier that it happened the timing that it did because all 13 of these songs are exactly what I want on an album."

The new record follows her 2024 Runnin' Outta Time EP and 2021 debut Stronger Than I Am, capturing a new level of confidence and perspective in her sound.

Lily is currently on the road, bringing her powerhouse live show to stages across North America. Dates are scheduled through November 22nd in Phoenix, Arizona.

After her breakout 2020 viral hit “Villain” was released, the Atlanta native went from local favorite to national name practically overnight – landing a record deal, joining tours with Sam Hunt, Luke Bryan, and Shania Twain, national TV performances, and racking up accolades including an ACM Best New Female Artist nomination and GLAAD’s Outstanding Breakthrough Artist Award.

The Boxmasters, featuring Billy Bob Thornton (or Bud as he's known in the band) and JD Andrew, recently released their latest album, Pepper Tree Hill, marking the group's 19th release. The project showcases their love of the Sixties and the inspiration of their studio, also named Pepper Tree Hill.

The song "Pepper Tree Hill" features legendary trumpeter and bandleader Herb Alpert and longtime collaborator and Boxmaster alum Brad Davis. The title track is "a salute to the creative atmosphere that The Boxmasters thrive in."

"Pepper Tree Hill is the property where my family and I live, and it’s also where our studio is, and we call the studio Pepper Tree Hill. The studio is at the bottom of the hill, and the house is at the top of the hill. It’s a very steep climb up the driveway, and it's lined with pepper trees. And so we thought that was just a natural name, you know, you got a little little Beatle reference in there," Thornton tells us from the group's tour bus before Andrew interjects, "Sergeant Pepper Tree Hill."

Thornton continues, "This album really is, more so than a lot of our records, even though all of our songs that we write are based on the 70s and the British invasion and all that. This one really has some touches that are more evident than usual and, of course, we had Herb Alpert on the song 'Pepper Tree Hill' which harkens back to the 60s."

The rest of the album contains jangly guitars, a Mellotron, and solid backbeats that drive the songs about nostalgia, hope, and happiness.

The group is on its 2025 Pepper Tree Hill Tour, which wraps in Los Angeles on October 19th. Some familiar stops, like in Kansas City at Knuckleheads, and Tomball, TX at Main Street Crossing, are joined by five nights at the Bourbon and Bonfire weekends in Livingston, Montana, and many other new towns and venues across the country.

They recently opened for The Who in Newark, New Jersey, where the show didn't go as planned. Thornton and Andrew discuss the performance along with the album, tour, and more, including a Landman soundtrack album that's in the works, featuring original songs co-written with Landman co-star and country singer/songwriter Mark Collie, Ronnie Dunn, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons, Parker McCollum, and Dwight Yoakam, to name a few.

James Dupré has released his new album, It's All Happening, today (Fri, Aug 22nd) via Warner Music Nashville. The project follows his Perfect Time EP, released in February, and features "Knee Deep in a River" and "Alright Tonight."

Dupré was born and raised in Bayou Chicot, Louisiana. The one-time aspiring meteorologist turned paramedic became a YouTube sensation in 2007, which led to an invitation to perform on The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Shortly after, he released his debut album, It’s All Happening, in 2010, which charted on Billboard. After signing a record deal with Warner Music Nashville in 2011, Dupré began performing and touring full-time.

In 2015, Dupré appeared on season nine of NBC’s The Voice with a four-chair turn, landing him a spot on Adam Levine’s team. Following his departure from The Voice, Dupré released his sophomore album Stoned to Death, yielding two singles on the Billboard Indicator chart.

The father of five made his acting debut in the film The Price, playing the son of a country singer portrayed by Randy Travis. In 2019, James was handpicked by Randy and his wife, Mary, as the special guest vocalist for the More Life Tour. Along with Randy’s original band, James performs all of the Country Music Hall of Famer’s biggest hits.

James released his third studio album, Home and Away, in 2020 with three singles, including the title track, “Another Love Song,” and “Painfully Pretty.” In September 2023, he made his Grand Ole Opry debut in Nashville. In May 2024, James was featured on CBS Sunday Morning as the first-ever “vocal bed” on a commercially released song. The single, “Where That Came From,” was the first new music released by Randy Travis in over a decade, and was produced with the help of AI to reimagine Randy’s legendary vocals on new music.

Jenna Andrews and Stephen Kirk are a highly successful songwriting and production duo, known for their work with a wide range of popular artists, especially in the K-pop realm. The real-life couple gained significant recognition for their work on BTS's hit songs "Butter" and "Permission to Dance."

Some of their notable songwriting credits include "Free" and "What It Sounds Like" from the widely popular Netflix series, KPop Demon Hunters, and its record-breaking soundtrack. KPop Demon Hunters (Soundtrack from the Netflix Film) climbs the charts for a fifth consecutive week with over 1.5 billion global streams to date, rising to No. 3 on the Billboard 200, and continuing to be the highest charting soundtrack of the year. In addition, the KPop Demon Hunters soundtrack secures the No. 1 Soundtrack Debut of 2025, and a fifth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard Soundtracks chart.

Besides Andres and Kirk, the soundtrack features original songs written by Danny Chung, Ido, Vince, Kush, Ejae, Lindgren, Mark Sonnenblick, Daniel Rojas, and produced by Teddy Park, 24, Dominsuk, Jenna Andrews, Stephen Kirk, Lindgren, Ian Eisendrath. Original songs are performed by Ejae, Audrey Nuna, Rei Ami, Andrew Choi, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, SamUIL Lee, Neckwav, and Lea Salonga. The soundtrack also includes the original song “Takedown” featuring Jeongyeon, Jihyo, and Chaeyoung from K-pop powerhouse girl group Twice.

The pair has also worked with Sabrina Carpenter, Drake, Nelly Furtado, Jessie Murph, and others.

Country superstar Cole Swindell is spending his Fourth of July Weekend with Mountain Dew and fans at the lake. Swindell will be at Lake of the Ozarks in Osage Beach, Missouri, this weekend to keep fans' coolers full of Mountain Dew with on-demand deliveries.

The Mountain Dew Thirst Guards program tackles summer's biggest party emergency – the empty cooler – by deploying Mountain Dew-branded Sea-Doos to bring bold, thirst-crushing refreshment directly to boaters and lake-goers at Lake of the Ozarks. On July 5-6, fans with empty coolers can text (803)-MTN-DEWS and send their location for an emergency delivery of ice-cold Mountain Dew, while supplies last. The program ensures Mountain Dew enthusiasts never miss a moment of summer fun, providing the refreshment needed for long days on the water.

Swindell, a long-time Mountain Dew fan, will lead the Thirst Guards, making surprise deliveries to fans near MarineMax Osage Beach at Lake of the Ozarks on Sunday, July 6th. This authentic partnership comes on the heels of Swindell's new studio album, Spanish Moss, and showcases the natural connection between the country star's carefree and energetic lifestyle and the adventurous brand ethos Mountain Dew is known for.

"I've always been a big fan of Mountain Dew, so I'm hyped to lead the Mountain Dew Thirst Guards and help keep the party going July 4th weekend," Swindell says. "Catch me at Lake of the Ozarks filling up coolers, passing out Pit Vipers and blasting my new music -- an ideal summer day!"

Beyond Lake of the Ozarks, the Thirst Guards (sans Swindell) will also take over Lake Travis, Texas; Miller Beach, Indiana; and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, with on-land beach stations packed with ice-cold Mountain Dew, creating an unmatched refreshment experience and keeping legendary summer excitement going all weekend long.

In this podcast episode, Swindell talks to us about the partnership, his new 21-track fifth album, upcoming fall tour, and more.

Building on the soundtrack of his life, diamond-selling superstar Brian Kelley drops his latest solo offering, Sunshine State of Mind Season Two, Chapter One, today (Fri, June 20th). The full-length independent project features 14 tracks co-written by Kelley, as he returns to his personal mantra, and the feel-good foundation of his acclaimed solo career.

Kelley’s new songs were penned alongside his 2021 release, Sunshine State of Mind Season One, and saved for another day. Much has changed in the years since – including delivering two more albums (Tennessee Truth and Ed & Mary Margaret’s Son) – but its sing-along themes remain relevant, with creative passion and country-born pride expressed through Kelley’s laid-back beach town vibe.

Kelley’s expansive creativity was recently showcased on Fox's The Masked Singer season 13, where he made it to the show’s final round. Unmasked as the Mad Scientist Monster, judge Robin Thicke applauded his closing performance as the “best vocal of the season.”

Starting July 24th in Savannah, Georgia, Kelley will hit the road to headline his Sunshine State of Mind Tour with dates continuing through September 7th in Raleigh, North Carolina.

In this episode, Kelley speaks to us about the fun he had on The Masked Singer, his new album, the tour, and more.

Hootie & The Blowfish co-founding guitarist Mark Bryan has a new solo project called Popped. Showcasing his multi-faceted talents, Bryan played all instruments while also enlisting a band of Charleston musicians, including skilled horn players, to round out the project with additional depth and dimension.

"I made the record before the tour, in the fall of '23, I guess it was," Bryan tells us. "It just where I was at musically. I just had a bunch of songs and I have a home studio, and got with my engineer and cranked them out. Most of the noises you hear on the album are me, including drums. I played a lot of drums this time for the first time, which is cool. I had a band in on other tracks, and some horns. I kinda really stretched the direction that I'm going on this one. I went many directions. I kinda let the songs dictate the style, and just followed that. I have a Latin pop song on there, and ska song, and a reggae song, and some stuff that's a bit more folky and a big rock song. It's just all over the place."

Bryan is on tour supporting the project. The multi-instrumentalist, who's from Silver Spring, Maryland, will play a hometown show at The Atlantis in Washington, DC on June 20th featuring Hootie's Gary Greene, and other area musicians.

This episode also sees Bryan discuss his and Darius Rucker's solo projects, and what he hopes the future holds for his longtime band.

This weekend, hard rock and heavy metal fans will flock to Columbia, Maryland for the 16th edition of the M3 Rock Festival. Tonight (Fri, May 2nd), Sebastian Bach kicks off the three-day event with Snake Oil. David Lee Roth headlines tomorrow (Sat, May 3rd) with appearances by Accept, Winger, Slaughter, Steven Adler, Child’s Play, Red Voodoo, and more. The festival closes on Sunday with a long-awaited reunion of Stephen Pearcy and Warren DeMartini performing Ratt, Ace Frehley, Warrant, Great White, Lita Ford, Vixen, Spread Eagle, and Soundcheck Rock.

Ahead of the festivities, we had a chance to chat with Great White founder and guitarist Michael Lardie about their performance.

“It’s always great to play. We’ve been pretty lucky of late. We’ve been [playing M3] pretty much every other year, which is great for us. We’re doing a show up in Flint, Michigan. Got a travel day and then we’re over in [the Maryland, DC, Virginia area],” he tells us. “Obviously the fan base is, pretty perfect for our genre of music… And it’s cool to see everybody still doing it. I mean, that’s another thing that warms your heart, when you’re there and you’re doing the show with all the different bands that are there. it’s kind of like, wow, we’re still doing it. This is awesome.”

Lardie also discusses new music and more with us.

Check back for exclusive M3 coverage with reviews, interviews, and photos from the weekend.

California-based Great White is Lardie on guitar and keys, Mark Kendall on guitar, Audie Desbrow on drums, Scott Snyder on bass, and Brett Carlisle on vocals. Since 1982, the Great White sound has captivated audiences worldwide with crushing, blues-based guitar riffs and swagger that invokes an emotional high for anyone that listens. The band’s core writing team of Lardie and Kendall forged numerous hits over the years, and when Desbrow joined in ’85, the grooves hooked an amazing stride.

Four decades in and Great White enlists Brett Carlisle to take over vocal duties and lead the charge on hit after hit. That arsenal of songs include the Grammy nominated Best Hard Rock Performance hit, “Once Bitten, Twice Shy,” Great White has sold over ten million albums worldwide, has six Top 100 Billboard hits, nine Top 200 Billboard albums, two platinum albums, and clocked the top of MTV four times.

Last month, UMG Nashville released the original series soundtrack for the Paramount+ hit show Landman, featuring an original score by Andrew Lockington (San Andreas, Rampage). The music flawlessly matches the drama and the intensity of the series as well as the expanse of the landscape. Set in the boomtowns of west Texas, Landman is a modern tale of fortune seeking amongst roughnecks and billionaires in the world of oil starring Billy Bob Thornton, Ali Larter, Michael Peña, Jon Hamm, and Demi Moore. The series was co-crated by Taylor Sheridan and Christian Wallace.

Lockington is best-known for his epic scores to such Warner Bros. blockbusters San Andreas, Rampage and Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which together have surpassed over $1 billion in box office revenues.

"I have been working with Taylor Sheridan for four years now," Lockington tells us. "I believe I started out, he hired me to do a show called Mayor of Kingtown with Jeremy Renner. And then after that went pretty well. We worked on Lioness together, which is Nicole Kidman and Zoe Salana and Morgan Freeman, another great show. and he'd been working on Landman for a while and he approached me and said, 'What are your thoughts on it and what would you do musically?' And as per our process, I threw together a few ideas and texted them to him and we went back and forth a little bit and I was really fortunate to get the gig."

Paramount+ has renewed the 2024 breakout hit Landman for season two with Lockington confirming he's already working on the score.

The series scored in the Top 10 SVOD Original Series for quarter four across all SVOD, alongside Paramount+’s Tulsa King and Lioness, marking only the second time since Nielsen began tracking SVODs that a service had three of the Top 10 series, outside of Netflix.

Landman had 35 million global streaming viewers for the premiere episode and set new records for Paramount+. It was the most watched global premiere and finale of any series in Paramount+ history. It has placed as the top Paramount+ Original ever on the service with the top engagement driver and No. 1 on households.

Season one is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+ with a Blu-ray and DVD release scheduled for May.

Rising singer/songwriter Annie Bosko proves country music isn’t just about where you’re from, but who you are with her latest single “California Cowgirl,” available now via Stone Country Records. Bosko embraces her California and farming roots with the neotraditional song that declares country girls can be found all over the map.

"I'd say that even though I'm from California, I had a pretty, rural upbringing and my uncle was in the rodeo world," Bosko tells us. "We had five quarter horses and an arena and they did the team roping events and barrel racing and I would go take a horse on horseback and go trail ride and sing. That was like, I would just love to be out in nature on trail ride. That was my jam. I never got into the rodeo events. I just sing a lot of national anthems up but never actually competed. My uncle's a grape grower in Delano, so I'm very familiar with that area. And I've always really had a love for the Bakersfield country sound -- Buck Owens. Dwight Yoakam is a friend of mine which is very strange to say that, to be like Dwight Yoakam is a friend. We text him and he and his wife have just been awesome so supportive of, and he actually gave me the idea for 'California Cowgirl,' my latest song that came out. I was doing his podcast and he said, 'California Cowgirl, Annie Bosow.' And so that's sort of really what inspired it."

"California Cowgirl" was released last week and is a taste of her forthcoming debut album. The song follows “Better Than You,” her top five duet with multi-platinum country star Joe Nichols.

Following her RodeoHouston debut last month, where she kicked off opening night with a performance of the National Anthem, Bosko will perform at Stagecoach on the Mane Stage on Saturday, April 26th.

Last fall, Poison drummer Rikki Rockett introduced his new band, The Rockett Mafia! Featuring Rockett on drums, Brandon Gibbs on guitar and vocals, Bulletboys guitarist Mick Sweda, and Bryan Kimes on bass and backing vocals, the group celebrates the best music of the 70s through the 90s classic rock era.

Rockett, who is the co-founder of Poison, and remains the band’s only drummer throughout their storied 40-year career, says the band stemmed from the annual Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride he hosts in Los Angeles.

“I’m a city host for a motorcycle ride every year called the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride. And it’s a worldwide ride,” he tells us. “[B]ut they never had entertainment at the Los Angeles one. And they’re like, ‘Hey, why don’t you do something?’ I’m like, ‘What are you doing? You just go out and do a solo.’ I mean, And I thought to myself, maybe I can put a little something together, do a bunch of cover songs and see how that goes. Just have fun, have people enjoy, the day, so I put it together and I just used the players from Chevy Metal and cuz I had done a fill in for them. And I got Brandon from Devil City Angels who we’ve been friends forever. And I just called up The Rocket Mafia and we did that one-off show and I thought to myself, ‘This is pretty cool. This could be a fun thing to just do cover songs, enjoy some of the stuff that I loved growing up with and just have a great time with it. Maybe reinvent a few little things.’ And then Brandon mentioned to me after looking at a poll about Poison where people were saying, ‘Man, I wish Poison would do more of these deep cuts.’ and I just know we’re not going to do more of these deep cuts. So, guess what? I will.”

Rockett talks more about the new band, what’s ahead for Poison’s 40th anniversary in 2026, his cancer battle, evacuating from the recent Los Angeles widlfires, his memoir, and more.

This year’s Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride takes place on Sunday, May 18th. Those who want to sponsor him can via the event’s website.

“On Sunday the 18th of May 2025, I’m riding in The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride with fellow men and women across the globe to raise funds and awareness for prostate cancer and men’s mental health on behalf of Movember,” he shares. “Men die on average six years earlier than women and for largely preventable reasons. The number of men that are suffering is growing, and we need to do something about that. So, before I press my tweed and polish my boots, I’m asking you to join me in raising funds and awareness for these causes by donating what you can for this meaningful cause and to help the men we love, live happier and healthier lives.”

Poison has sold over 50 million records worldwide behind the hits “Talk Dirty To Me,” “Nothin’ But A Good Time,” “Something To Believe In,” “Ride The Wind,” “Unskinny Bop,” and the Hot 100 No. 1 single, “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn.”

Last week, Dugger Band took the internet by storm after brothers Seth and Jordan Dugger shared a video reading an email that WSMV-TV in Nashville sent about their new patriotic song "True Colors." The brothers were set to perform the self-penned and John Rich-produced track on Today in Nashville, but were told by station management that the lyrics were deemed too "politically biased" and recanted their offer for that song.

Blindsided, the brothers contacted Rich who advised they should not appear on the station at all. Instead, Dugger Band and Rich shared messages on social media that went viral and shot their song to No. 1 on the independent download charts.

"I think WSMV probably had no idea that I had produced this record because if they would have known that my name was attached to that, they would have known all hell was about to rain down if they made the move that they made," Rich tells us in an interview. "But I'm glad they made it. Know why? Because it pulled the curtain back on that television station, WSMV. They're total cowards. They will not answer an email. I have friends in conservative media who have called them multiple times. Guess what they do? They hang up the phone the second they ask the question. So, They're weak. They thought they could kick the Duggars around because the Duggars aren't a big act yet. They thought they could get away with bullying somebody and shoving them around. And they didn't get away with it. And the result of it was these guys go number one on the country download chart. So, hell yeah."

The Duggers said the song was written to unite, not ignite, people.

"We wrote the song trying to bring people together," they share. "We didn't see it as a political issue at all. We saw it as a patriotism type and so we wrote the song with that in mind. And whenever they scheduled us to come perform it on the show and we were excited about doing it. We told our fans, 'Hey, we're going to be able to go on this news network in Nashville and perform this full band on the news.' And it was just about a day and a half, about 36 hours or so before we were supposed to perform, whenever we received the email that they had determined that it was too politically, divisive, I guess, to be able to play it. And we still don't know what lyrics they were talking about, because we wrote the song with patriotism in mind."

The Music Universe has reached out to WSMV for comment, but still has not heard back a week later.

Legendary artist Bill Medley releases his debut solo country album, Straight From the Heart, via Curb Records. The album sees the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer’s unmistakable baritone voice covering mega country music ballads alongside some of the industry’s biggest stars including Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’ and Shawn Colvin.

Previous tracks include "These Days" featuring Vince Gill, which offers a taste of the singer-songwriter’s blues roots; "(Since You’ve) Gone" featuring Keb’ Mo’, which delivers a doleful version of remorse and regret; "Crying Time" featuring Michael McDonald, a powerful blend of soul and harmony; and a cover of George Jones' "He Stopped Loving Her Today," that blends country and soul, adding a new layer of emotional resonance to the country classic.

In the interview, Medley tells us why he chose ballads over a mix of slow and uptempo songs.

"I'm really a blues singer, and so the ballads just are, like (singing) 'Born to lose.' 'I live my life in vain.' That's what I want to say," he says. "They asked me to do a couple of fast songs, but I said, 'I just want to keep it soulful,' and that's what I do best."

In support of the album, Medley will make his Grand Ole Opry debut on Saturday, February 22nd. The singer-songwriter and his new partner Bucky Heard are also currently performing a residency at the South Point Casino, Las Vegas, and will be hitting the road on tour, taking fans on a nostalgic journey through the catalog of one of the greatest duos of all time.

Quartz Hill Records’ Runaway June is working on new music. Last year, the trio featuring Jennifer Wayne, Natalie Stovall, and Stevie Woodward, released the intoxicating "New Kind of Emotion" and "He Ain't My Problem," which had over a million streams in its first week in November. The ladies co-wrote each track and teamed with Sugarland's Kristian Bush for producing duties.

Each is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Wayne is a California native who started on a path as a tennis pro before forming her first band, then began writing for artists like Eric Paslay soon after her post-college move to Nashville. Stovall took up classical violin at age four in Central Tennessee launched her music career by playing the fiddle in the Opryland Kids Club, attended Berklee College of Music, and eventually linked up with Wayne while on tour with her former band. Woodward got her start playing solo gigs all over South Carolina at 14, studied songwriting and music business at Middle Tennessee State University, and later embarked on a solo career as a singer-songwriter.

Woodward joined the band in April 2022 after Wayne and Stovall discovered her online. Wayne, Stovall, and Woodward made their first public performance together at Nashville’s historic Grand Ole Opry and are constantly on the road, hitting stages in cities across the U.S.

The trio joins us to discuss their new music and what fans can expect in 2025.

Last month, Cincinnati-based singer, songwriter and storyteller Michael Marcagi shared a raw and reflective new single entitled “Good Enough” via Warner Records. Marcagi co-wrote the tune with The Lumineers’ Wesley Schultz, while David Baron produced.

The track’s breezy acoustic guitar and propulsive beat underline this modern troubadour’s unfiltered storytelling as nostalgia and bare emotion collide. In between the melodically buoyant harmony, the song culminates on an anthemic yet heartbreaking chant, “You said I wasn’t good…You said I wasn’t good enough.” As always, feeling bleeds through his delivery.

Marcagi chats with us to discuss the track, working with Schultz, and a big year of touring with more on the way.

"I record in upstate New York and it's with the same producer, the Lumineers have you been using for the past couple albums," he tells us. "And it was just one of those things where, you know, we, the producer had always been talking about like, 'Oh, I think you guys would get along. I think you guys would be a good fit to do a song together.' And it's just never really worked out or whatever. Finally, we had time in our schedules and [recorded] a song together. We spent a week, me and Wes, the lead singer of Lumineers spent a week together up in upstate New York and just wrote a song from scratch and recorded it and it was a really, really cool experience."

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Mark Farner will release Closer to My Home, his long-awaited new studio album, on November 8th via Righteous Rock Records with distribution by MVD Entertainment Group. Bridging past and present, the grit of industry, and the calloused hard work of a rural man, the project champions Farner’s multi-faceted artistry. Celebrating the 55th anniversary of the iconic Grand Funk Railroad hit “(I’m Your Captain) Closer To My Home,” the album is highlighted with a re-record, finding Farner in exactly the same form as 1970.

"There was no such thing as a click track back then. We played to the drummer. All of those hits back then, all of that music, it was all played to a real person, a drummer in a bone suit," Farner tells us about recreating the song. "So we did a tempo map. Josh Egan, who played drums on this particular cut, [Egen] did a tempo map of Brewer's original tempo, how it went up and down. I mean, if you looked at that map, you're going, 'What the hell?' You know, I mean, it was all over the place, but it doesn't sound like it. It's just naturally in and out. If the drummer does a fill, a lot of times, he's gonna make it to one before you do a pure tapping. (Laughing) He gets excited about what he's doing. So we wanted to capture that, and Josh certainly did. And he played Ludwig drums, just like Brewer played on the original track."

Farner talks to us more about the project and whether a reunion with the original Grand Funk Railroad is in the works or not.

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Award-winning artist and songwriter Brad Tursi of multi-platinum-selling band Old Dominion releases his first-ever solo project, Parallel Love, on July 19th.

Parallel Love is a collection of songs that have been written over the past ten years that are reflective of where the accomplished artist, guitarist, and writer is in the present moment. Created and released with the band's full support, the project features co-writes with Stephen Wilson Jr., Dan Isbell, Jessi Alexander, and Matt Jenkins. Tursi produced the entire project as well, with Ben West and Marc Scibilia co-producing select tracks.

In addition to his role with the reigning CMA and ACM Vocal Group of the Year, Tursi is a Grammy-nominated songwriter, has earned multiple CMA Triple Play Awards for writing three No. 1 songs in 12 months, been named AIMP Artist Writer of the Year, and co-written hits for Kenny Chesney, Luke Bryan, Tyler Hubbard, Josh Turner, Darius Rucker, and Cole Swindell, among others.

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The musician discusses his new spoken-word solo album

Country, bluegrass, and Americana legend John McEuen release his long-awaited album, The Newsman: A Man Of Record, in April via Compass Records. In this project for McEuen, the album has ten spoken word tracks and one instrumental piece. Each one tells a special story in a way that's like a play, with John's style of music in the background. The album starts with a story about a newspaper seller who had a big impact on John when he was getting started in Los Angeles and ends with "Jules' Theme," a song inspired by Jules Verne talking about his wife, who passed away in a French cemetery. Every part of the album is carefully put together to make it unforgettable.

The collection spans various literary themes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Civil War-era poem "Killed at the Ford" (which we premiered) to Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" about a Yukon prospector. Other tracks include Stephen Vincent Benét's "The Mountain Whippoorwill," Hank Williams Sr.'s "Fly Trouble," and Walter Brennan's "Old Rivers." Thomas Monroe's Vietnam War reflection "Nui Ba Den" contrasts with more recent compositions like John Carter Cash's "The Guitar Of Pineapple John," Hans Olson's "I'll Be Glad (When They Run Out Of Gas)," and Thaddeus Bryant's "Red Clay."

McEuen was set to support the project, but underwent an unexpected medical procedure around the time of the album's release, forcing him to be sidelined for several months.

We recently chatted with the country legend to discuss the project, his latest book, and his history with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.

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Rising country star Kassi Ashton is a week away from releasing her major debut album, Made From The Dirt, via MCA Records on September 20th. The project features her top 40 country radio hit, "Called Crazy," "I Don't Wanna Dance," her chilling new ballad "The Straw," and others.

She holds nothing back on the ten tracks. Spiking her brand of country with rock ‘n’ roll spirit and unabashed vulnerability, she proudly wears her heart on her sleeve.

Ashton tells us the album title describes who she is.

"I was watching a live feed of a couture fashion show. And these models were wearing the most gorgeous, handmade, textured, metallic gowns trudging through mud. The stage in which the show was presented was like a pitch black, high spotlight beamed, motocross field, basically," she says. "The puddles, the hills, the obstacles. And I thought 'I wonder if everyone realizes that the gowns are all the more beautiful because they're being dragged through the mud because the models are having to climb and claw and really put their back into it.' And I just related so heavily to that imagery because all of my favorite things about myself if I could make a list have come from struggle or overcoming obstacles. I wasn't born with any of my favorite things. That's like, congrats, you were born with it, no one cares. But the things that have given me scars and that have shaped me are my favorite things. So yeah, I'm 'Made From Dirt.' And I tell everybody, I love the get back up. Please push me down, because I'm all the more interesting afterward."

In the episode, Ashton also explains the idea behind "Called Crazy," her stage presence, and more.

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McBride & The Ride celebrates its 35th anniversary with a new live EP this fall. The album's first single, "Amarillo Sky," is available now and may be familiar to country fans as it was made famous by Jason Aldean although Terry McBride & Co had recorded it years before Aldean.

"We've never recorded a live album, record or anything," McBride shares with us. "A lot of people have always asked us about live music. Our live show has a lot of energy that wasn't always captured in the studio, especially way back in the day when we were cutting a lot of ballads for radio. We just thought it was a great way for people who are fans or maybe never heard us to maybe get an idea of who we are live."

2024 also marks the 30th anniversary of the blockbuster film 8 Seconds, starring Luke Perry as bull rider Lane Frost. The band appeared in the film and contributed "No More Cryin'" to its soundtrack.

When they first began releasing music in 1989, McBride & The Ride released three acclaimed albums Burnin’ Up The Road, Sacred Ground, and Hurry Sundown, with hit singles like "Love on the Loose, Heart on the Run," “Sacred Ground,” "Going Out of My Mind," and many more. In the spring of 2021, they announced they were reuniting and going back in the studio to record new music. Though the band has been on and off over the past 30 years, its members have thrived through their careers.

Ray Herndon has been Lyle Lovett’s lead guitarist since 1985 and has had songs cut by Kenny Chesney, Aaron Tippin, Lee Greenwood, Linda Davis, and more, he continues to operate his family’s historic club, Handlebar J, in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Terry McBride has had quite a fruitful career, writing major hits for Brooks & Dunn, Reba McEntire, Easton Corbin, Cody Johnson, and more. He toured with Brooks & Dunn through most of their biggest years playing bass and writing songs.

Billy Thomas moved to Nashville from Los Angeles in 1987 and immediately started working with Vince Gill along with many other country stars, including Emmylou Harris, Patty Loveless, Steve Wariner & Earl Scruggs. He’s been Gill’s drummer on the road and in the studio ever since, adding background vocals to his many hits, as well as joining him as a member of The Time Jumpers, one of Nashville’s favorite bands.

The trio’s previous EP, Marlboros & Avon, produced by all three members, was released in 2023.

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Australian indie pop group Sheppard has returned with Zora, its fourth studio album, available now via Universal Music Group. The highly-anticipated project sees siblings Amy, Emma, and George Sheppard sharing their thoughts during uncertain times.

"We started writing it pretty much the day after we released Kaleidoscope Eyes," George says of the group's third album released during COVID. "We sorta started channeling those frustrations into a new album. We just kinda got back to work and a lot of this album was out of trying to give ourselves some hope of what was to come."

The album was written in Brisbane, LA, and Stockholm and is dedicated to their grandmother Zora.

The project is available on CD, and a limited edition double yellow vinyl and cassette.

The trio recently relocated to Nashville from their native Australia. They chat with Matt Bailey at a recent tour stop in Washington, DC about the project and how the move has affected their career.

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Capitol Nashville's Caylee Hammack has released her newest single, “The Hill,” laying the groundwork for her next creative chapter, pairing her with Celtic influences. The song opens a new spin sonically that pays homage to her transformative time in Scotland and Ireland as well as her sad surrender to a love that can no longer survive. Known as a deeply personal artist, Hammock vulnerably shares the internal battle of when to wave the white flag in a relationship.

Hammack co-wrote the song with singer/songwriter Tenille Townes, and songwriter Logan Wall, with John Osborne (of the country music duo Brothers Osborne) serving as a producer.

Hammack has carved a place for herself in country music, releasing her debut record If It Wasn't For You in 2020 with writer and producer credits for the entire project. She tapped Chris Stapleton, Alan Jackson, and Reba McEntire for collaborations on the project.

In this episode, the rising country star talks to us about her new music and what gave her the courage to ask three country superstars to guest on her debut which was recorded largely independently before signing with UMG Nashville.

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Grammy Award honoree, Songwriters Hall of Fame member, and BBC Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Don McLean released his most recent album, American Boys, earlier this month via BFD/Audium Nashville and distributed exclusively through The Orchard. Paying tribute to his rock and roll heroes, McLean's new single honors those who paved the way.

"American boys invented rock and roll. That's the idea," McLean tells us. "It's really the high school version of 'American Pie' which is the college version, but it's not complicated at all, it's just a simple homage, but they invented rock and roll. That's the thing I want to get across to people that America has invented a lot of different kinds of music. It comes from the soil. It comes from the south. It comes from Memphis, and Nashville, the Texas Panhandle, Louisiana, Arkansas, all over. It doesn't come from New England. It does not come from the West. It comes from these places."

Last week, McLean was a guest at The White House State Dinner for President Ruto of Kenya. 

The legendary and still active singer/songwriter has had a significant career, selling over 50 million albums worldwide. Among other things, Don McLean received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2021, was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2022, received a star on the Las Vegas Walk of Fame in 2019 and the Music City Walk of Fame in 2023, and was recently the focus of a Paramount+ documentary The Day The Music Died.

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Texas country singer-songwriter Wade Bowen recently released his new album, Flyin, through his Bowen Sounds via Thirty Tigers/The Orchard. The 12-track record features a curated track listing with diverse songs ranging from old-fashioned honky-tonk country to gut-wrenching ballads, classic rock and even a love song to his home state for shaping him who he is today.

As the second project that Bowen has produced fully himself, Flyin came together over a year and provides listeners with an unexpected array of songs that will keep them on their toes and take them through a unique, musical journey. With this album, Bowen explores the individuality of each song and takes a deep dive into his creativity through songwriting and storytelling.

"Having a new album is always fun. It's always exciting. I really believe in this record and like I've been telling people, an artist, you know, a songwriter always says their most recent song they wrote is always their favorite and the artist always says their most recent album is always their favorite. So I'm trying really hard not to say that this time because I know that's the most cliche answer, but even though I do believe it's my favorite, but I do believe there's an energy to this record that I've never had before," Bowen tells us.

He continues, "This is the second record that I produced on my own of mine. And I believe that as I listen through to it, I think there's an energy to this thing that I've never had. Something that I could carry over into my live shows and something that we have carried over into my live show that has really amped things up and really given like, spirit to things that I've never had something that this really crank things up a little bit and just shown and it really is not it's not just about the tempo it's just this this energy this spirit this this this this this this fun and and happiness and just showing that that I'm having more fun than I've ever had and I feel like I'm at the top of my game right now this far into my career that feels really good to hear all of that in this record and I hope people hear that when they hear this record."

We chat about the new album, teaming up with good friend Miranda Lambert for the first time for a limited Texas run May 24-26 in his hometown of New Braunfels, his Bowen Family Foundation, and performing the National Anthem for the 2024 Texas Rangers Opening Day game.

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Parker McCollum knows how to “Burn it Down,” but does he know the secret sauce for creating the perfect Raising Cane’s Box Combo? Award-winning country music singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist McCollum, the “Gold Chain Cowboy,” avoided the “Young Man's Blues” with a tour of the brand’s Dallas-Area Restaurant Support Office on Thursday (May 16th) with founder and owner Todd Graves.

McCollum – who won New Male Artist of the Year at the 2022 Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM Awards) and Breakthrough Video of the Year at the 2022 Country Music Television Awards (CMT Awards) – spent the morning with his good friend Graves ahead of playing the 59th ACM Awards at the nearby Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas. No stranger to the spotlight or ACM recognition, McCollum just won Visual Media of the Year during a pre-awards show event and was nominated for Single of the Year for “Burn it Down.” McCollum recently announced 13 additional tour stops for his now 53-stop Burn it Down Tour, which kicked off in January.

Before McCollum donning his Cane’s-cowboy best at the Dallas-Area Restaurant Support Office, he hosted a star-studded night at ACM Lifting Lives Live: Parker McCollum and Friends at Topgolf at the Colony, Texas alongside Graves and fellow country music stars Old Dominion, Jordan Davis, Ashley Cooke and Kameron Marlowe. Also in attendance were Kane Brown, Miranda Lambert, and numerous other stars. During the show, McCollum and Graves were joined by good friend and country music sensation Koe Wetzel, who performed “Love” with McCollum on stage. The event benefitted ACM Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the ACMs dedicated to improving lives through the power of music.

Later in the night, Graves and Doug Kindy, president of Lucchese, joined McCollum on stage to match McCollum’s $10,000 donation to ACM Lifting Lives, contributing to the more than $700,000 raised. After the concert, Graves and McCollum went outside to serve hungry fans from the Raising Cane’s food truck, which was on-site at the request of McCollum to help the charitable cause. McCollum sported a Cane’s hat and his signature gold chains while serving up chicken fingers to the masses.

“It was great spending the night with Parker at his show and having him here at the office this morning to see some fun mementos of our history. Parker and I have been good friends for a while and it’s been amazing turning that friendship into something more meaningful,” Graves shares. “I’m also glad we had the opportunity to come together last night and make an impact on ACM Lifting Lives. It was heartwarming seeing Koe and everyone enjoying a fun night that benefits an amazing charity.”

During the morning's tour of Cane’s three-story Dallas-Area Support Center, McCollum got an inside look at the celebrity “Hall of Fame,” where McCollum is featured working a “shift” at his hometown Raising Cane’s in Conroe, Texas, before headlining the 2023 Houston Rodeo. Graves – who built the first Raising Cane’s, “The Mothership,” across from the North Gates at LSU in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1996 – gave McCollum an exclusive look into the chicken finger magic that made Raising Cane’s a household name.

“Todd is a family man, which helped our friendship develop naturally before we got into business together. When people see that Raising Cane’s sponsors me, they know Todd only partners with people who are genuine and hardworking – both characteristics that he embodies himself,” McCollum adds. “Having Raising Cane’s on my eighteen-wheeler is so exciting and I always have enough food on the bus after my shows to feed a small village.”

We were on-site following the tour to talk to McCollum in a press conference at the facility with a one-on-one conversation between our Matt Bailey and Graves.

Acclaimed musical duo Bowen * Young has released their debut album, Us via Snakefarm/Pias, a London extension of Universal Music Group. The duo, consisting of husband and wife Claire Bowen (TV's Nashville) and Brandon Robert Young, draws inspiration from their personal experiences and musical influences and effortlessly blend elements of folk, Americana, and country to create a sound that is distinctly their own.

"When you make a record, it's just one of those things where you're sort of in the lab, you know, you're like in a cave creating, writing songs, recording them, and then you go through the whole mix and master process, but you know to finally get to that place where it's like oh we have a release date and the record's actually going to come out and we're actually going to get to share it with people," they tell us. "We're just thrilled."

The duo will perform at Nashville's 3rd and Lindsley next week before heading to London to perform two special shows at Royal Albert Hall as part of Highways Fest on May 17th and 18th.

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BBR Music Group/Wheelhouse Records singer/songwriter Elvie Shane delivers his most daring work yet with his sophomore album Damascus, available now. Full of unflinching honesty rooted in compassionate clarity, Shane takes pieces of each character he’s met on his path, melding them into one beautifully woven work. The road to Damascus isn't a journey one takes lightly, yet the album tells the stories of those often untold, giving each testimony a chance to shine through. Shane co-wrote all songs on the project produced by his frequent collaborator, Oscar Charles.

"Very heavy-hearted for I'd say 60 or 70% of it," Shane tells us about the album's content. "You know, songs like 'Fan on High' and 'Chicken Shit' are a little bit more light-hearted. But man, I just really wanted to, what I've been noticing more than anything in the world the last few years is a lot of struggle. And a lot of struggle with my folks in particular, with blue-collar people. I'm a rural Kentucky boy, you know, come from a lower middle-class family, truck driver, and a factory worker as parents. Those are the people that I love and care about and I feel like they're very interesting people and I want to tell their stories. But within that picture of blue-collar struggle, there are some afflictions as well, be it addiction, political issues, religious issues, or prison reform. I think we tried to touch on all of those a little bit in this record."

Shane discusses a few songs in more detail and what's ahead on this edition of The Music Universe Podcast.

Last month, legendary icon Tony Orlando played his final sold-out show in Las Vegas this week after 51 years as a Las Vegas headliner and now at the renowned South Point Casino.

In 1973, the crooner began topping the bill in Las Vegas at the famed Riviera Hotel showroom and soon after began headlining the esteemed and historic Las Vegas Hilton. During his early explosive period performing in the entertainment capital, he headlined most of the city’s legendary venues such as Caesar’s Palace, The Mirage, and The Desert Inn -- and continued an amazing twenty-five years of residencies in all of Michael Gaughan’s venues, including his hugely successful South Point Casino showroom.

On March 22nd, Orlando will bring an end to his long and illustrious 62-year live concert performing career at Mohegan Sun's 10,000-seat arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Amazingly, this will mark his 65th appearance over 23 years at the venue.

“I am so honored that my last concert will be at my favorite venue on Earth, Mohegan Sun Arena,” Orlando says. “My relationship with Tom Cantone, the stage crews, and the staff at Mohegan Sun Arena has been flawless. I also want to thank all my friends within the Mohegan Tribe for making me feel like family and for the opportunity to say goodbye. Thank you for making my dreams come true.”

Throughout February and March, Orlando will play a handful of farewell North American stops, hitting Niagara Falls, Ontario on February 27th and 28th, along with playing a pair of Illinois shows in Des Plaines on March 2nd and St. Charles on March 3rd -- as well as a poignant East Coast date in Atlantic City, New Jersey on March 16th.

Tony Orlando – a 60-plus-year hitmaker and standing-room-only live draw -- was recently honored as a New Jersey Hall Of Fame Inductee and remains a relentless supporter of American veterans. Orlando is a Grammy-nominated artist with a whopping 15 Top 40 hits, two platinum albums, three gold albums, and millions of copies sold. “Tie A Yellow Ribbon” was the No. 1 Billboard Song of the Year for 1973 and went on to become the theme song for Tony Orlando and an anthem for hope, reunion, and renewal in America.

Orlando is a recipient of two American Music Awards and a People’s Choice Award for Best Male Entertainer. He is the 2016 recipient of the Casino Entertainer Of The Year award and the Bob Hope Award for Excellence in Entertainment from the Congressional Medal Of Honor Society, honoring his tireless efforts on behalf of our nation’s veterans.

In 1990, Tony was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame to commemorate his outstanding achievements in the entertainment industry. He was also inducted into Mohegan Sun’s Walk Of Fame in 2010.

Orlando will continue hosting his beloved hit radio program Saturday Nights with Tony Orlando on 77 WABC Music Radio (Red Apple Media, Inc.), which airs in New York, as well as reaching New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. Orlando will naturally continue engaging in a multitude of ongoing projects – including a new film and multimedia company, Tony Orlando Productions.

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(EDITOR’S NOTE: In this episode, we mention Toto will perform with Journey for 44 dates this year. That number is 30 with 14 headlining dates of their own).

Next week, Toto launches its third consecutive tour with Journey with 30 appearances throughout the United States and Canada through the spring with an additional 14 headlining performances planned. A tour of Europe follows this summer with additional headlining dates to be announced.

The band is led by guitarist Steve Lukather (Luke) and frontman Joseph Williams, also known as The Dogz of Oz. In the fall of 2019, we began our podcast with Luke featured in our inaugural episode. Now, as we hit the 200 mark, we invited Williams to join us in the hot seat where we chat about the band's new lineup featuring Williams on vocals, Luke on guitar and vocals, Greg Phillinganes returning on keyboards and vocals, Nashville studio musician Shannon Forrest returning on drums, John Pierce on bass, Warren Ham on horns, percussion, vocals, and Steve Maggiora on keyboards and vocals -- and additional topics.

"It's unbelievable how many versions of this band if you count all the musicians that have played from behind. Of the old guard, you know, it's basically just me and Luke, you know," he says. "But Greg Phillinganes is back and he was once a full-blown member back in the early 2000s and we're thrilled to have him back because he's just exceptional in every single way, so that's wonderful. And then Shannon who was with us during the teens for about six years is back, and it's great to have him back. He's probably -- more than anybody -- reminds me of the way [original drummer] Jeff [Porcaro] used to play. And he also has this encyclopedic knowledge of all the Toto material, so rehearsals are like a breeze. So between those guys, I mean, it's really solid, and it sounds amazing. I can't wait for everybody to hear it."

Over the past decade, Toto has had a major renaissance in popularity like few bands at this point in their career. No individual statistic exhibits this more than achieving the milestone of over 3.4 billion streams at Spotify alone. The total plays of the band’s collected works across all platforms is now approaching five billion. Amongst the most listened-to recordings, “Africa” accounts for over one billion streams on Spotify alone. The song was recertified by the RIAA eight times platinum.

Individually and collectively, the band’s family tree can be heard on an astonishing five thousand albums that together amass a sales history of half a billion albums. Amongst these recordings, NARAS applauded the performances with hundreds of Grammy nominations. They are pop culture and are one of the few 70’s bands that have endured the changing trends and styles while continuing to remain relevant.

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For four decades, Mark Miller has been the frontman of multi-platinum and multi-award-winning group Sawyer Brown and a trailblazer in country music. Now, he’s pulling back the curtain on his storied career with his new memoir The Boys And Me: My Life in the Country Music Supergroup Sawyer Brown, due February 6th via Forefront Books.

From the early days of honing their craft in small-town venues to winning the first-ever televised singing competition with Star Search to becoming country music’s most enduring act, Miller offers a backstage pass to the heart and soul of Sawyer Brown with never-before-told stories.

"The book wasn't my idea," Miller tells us. "My brother is our manager and he came up with the idea that [the band] need[s] to do a new album. My daughter's been involved. She is involved in production and has her own TV show. She really signed on and wanted to do the documentary. And then he thought it would be a good idea to do the book. Just as we talked about my personality, I just thought who in the world would want to read a book about me? And so that was my that was my first thing... Robert Nolan was the, I guess, ghostwriter or whatever. That was the first thing I said to Robert. I said, 'This was going to be difficult for me because I don't even know what parts of me are interesting.' So I think the reason for the book was just maybe to complete the 40-year package with the documentary, the album, and the book. The book, of course, covers my life all the way from growing up. The documentary covers basically the beginning of the band. That's where that picks up."

The book's foreword was written by NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner.

The Boys And Me stands as a testament to the band’s enduring legacy and its impact on the country music landscape. Accompanied by the band’s new tell-all documentary, Get Me To The Stage On Time, and a Blake Shelton-produced album, Desperado Troubadours, coming March 8th via their longtime label Curb Records, Miller’s memoir continues the celebration of Sawyer Brown’s 40th anniversary.

The first two singles of the new album, “Under This Ole Hat” and “Get Me To The Stage On Time,” are available now.

Marking a new pinnacle in a lifetime of creative achievement, multi-talented entertainer Charles Esten will release his highly anticipated independent debut album, Love Ain’t Pretty, on January 26th.

A diverse and richly textured full-length project more than ten years in the making, Love Ain't Pretty began taking shape when Esten first arrived in Music City to play Deacon Claybourne on ABC/CMT’s Nashville, and now showcases a singer-songwriter with a masterful grasp of the full human condition. Working in tandem with hitmakers like Jon Nite, Eric Paslay, Gary Burr, Leslie Satcher, and more, Esten co-wrote all 14 songs, diving deep into wide-ranging themes of earth-shattering romance, big-picture reflection, and beyond. Vividly detailed and filled with the emotional daring of a celebrated storyteller – both onscreen and onstage – Esten explores life, love, and the passing of time through the lens of a traveled and tested everyman, who has never lost his innate sense of wonder, or his wide-open soul. Meanwhile, he teamed with producer Marshall Altman (Frankie Ballard, Marc Broussard, Matt Nathanson) to sculpt a calm, controlled, and beautifully contoured sound, blending the forward momentum of Country Rock with Rootsy small-town charm, and a warm, soulful vocal.

"[O]ver these years in college, I was singing other people's songs in their voice. I was doing Buddy Holly and his voice on TV's Whose Line [Is It Anyway]. As you know, they would go, 'We want you to sing this song in the style of Neil Diamond or the style of U2.' So you're doing other people's voices for a long time. Part of the journey of any artist is finding out, all right, 'Who am I then?' And Nashville is a beautiful place to get to do that because you're surrounded [by talent]," Esten tells us.

"I had this great producer named Marshall Altman and these incredible players around me who get to follow our lead and make these, bring these songs to life in a way we had imagined, but beyond that because of their great talents. And so, so much of this has been stripping away those impressions and those other folks to find out what it is.

"I want to say, who I am and what I want to say. Now those things have been influenced along the way. There's so much of this music I would think you would agree that Deacon Claiborne could have sung that one. And in a way he did because I played him. And I was fortunate enough to get to write three songs for Deacon on the show Nashville so that overlap is there. But it's very strange to have a debut album at this late point in someone's life. But to me, it's all for the better. It means I have things I've thought about that I want to say, and in a certain way I want to say them, and that all comes together in Love Ain't Pretty."

Esten is a global entertainer. Best known for his roles as Ward Cameron on Netflix’s Outer Banks and Deacon Claybourne in ABC/CMT’s Nashville, the artist-songwriter introduces Love Ain’t Pretty. Surpassing 21 million streams to date, Esten is a 2018 Guinness World Records title holder for the “Most consecutive weeks to release an original digital single by a music act” after delivering 54 original songs once a week for 54 straight weeks. He’s made nearly 170 appearances at Nashville’s iconic Grand Ole Opry and performed multiple headline tours in the US, Germany, Amsterdam, and the UK, further embarking on his US and international headlining Love Ain't Pretty Tour this spring. In addition, Esten serves as the National Honorary Spokesperson for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s annual Light The Night Walk and is a board member and volunteer for Musicians On Call.

On June 4, 2022, Steve Vai began a world tour that has now staged 194 performances in 51 countries across the globe. Some of these markets he had never appeared in prior, amongst which are Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam), Kaohsiung (Taiwan), Zallak (Bahrain), Bangalore and Kolkata (India), Mumbai, Macedonia, Ecuador, Costa Rica, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, alongside six new markets in China (Foshan, Xi’an, Chengdu, Chongqing, Nanjing and Hefei). Throughout this worldwide odyssey, Vai stepped foot on every continent other than Antarctica.

Now back at home after this marathon 19-month tour, Vai is ready to fill up his 2024 with more touring and to share new music. Earlier this month, he began the year by staging his annual Vai Academy. Titled A New Breed Of Virtuosity, Vai Academy 7.0 was staged at the Omni Championsgate Resort in Orlando, Florida.

He chats with us about the upcoming G3 Reunion Tour with Joe Satriani and Eric Johnson as well as his Satch-Vai Tour with Satriani. He also talks about new music that includes his passion project of orchestral songs and teases a big tour announcement for the fall.

"The last year and a half was the Inviolate Tour. So it was the full show that I do, but now for 24, it's more condensed. I'm out with Joe and Eric Johnson for G3 for a good handful of shows. We kick off in about ten days," Vai tells us. "And then finally, it's so nice, Joe and I are going to do a tour together, just the two of us. And that's something -- we've toured together a lot, but we've never toured as just the two of us. And for the first time, we'll also have some music that we recorded together, working on a couple of tracks there. So that's exciting. And it's really nice because it's kind of the end of a huge touring cycle, and I get to do it with Joe. I mean, we've known each other since we were little kids, you know? I started taking lessons [from Satriani] when I was like 12. We've been joined at the hip ever since, but we've never really done anything like this together. So it's very nice."

The G3 tour kicks off on January 22nd and runs through February 10th, and then The Satch-Vai Tour will be staged from March 22nd in Orlando, FL through May 12th in Santa Rosa, California, featuring an extensive itinerary that will stage 38 appearances. This marks the first time that the long-time friends have toured as a duo-bill. It is also the first time they’ve collaborated on new music, which will be premiered just before the tour heading out.

Conceived in 1995 by the multi-Grammy nominated guitarist, Joe Satriani, the inaugural G3 Tour took place in 1996 bringing together three of the most iconic and virtuosic guitarists of their time: Satriani, Eric Johnson and Steve Vai. Known for their incredible technical prowess, musical innovation and unique styles, the G3 tour was a celebration of guitar mastery and proved extremely popular, captivating audiences worldwide. Though the line-up has continually changed over the last 29 years since its inception, Satriani is celebrating G3 in 2024 by reuniting the original trio: Satriani, Johnson, and Vai. The tour is set to begin on January 23rd in Tucson, AZ staging 13 performances ending with a pair of shows at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles which Vai says will be filmed.

Satch and Vai’s musical careers have been intertwined since their very early days. Satriani served as Vai’s guitar teacher during their teenage years on Long Island, New York. Their connection has continued to evolve over the years, even sharing record labels, starting at Relativity Records in the late 80’s, to both calling Sony/Epic Records home for a significant portion of the 90’s. Together, they have also frequently teamed up with a third guitarist on multiple occasions throughout 29 years, participating in the semi-annual G3 Tours, both in the US and abroad.

We are back from an extended break with an action-packed episode featuring interviews with Riley Green and Garth Brooks. This edition of The Music Universe Podcast originates from Brooks' new Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk in the historic area of Nashville's Lower Broadway, recorded ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday and the soft opening of the new multi-level venue.

Before we talked with Brooks, I had a chance to chat with Green in October surrounding the release of his new album, Ain’t My Last Rodeo, released via BMLG Records. The Alabama good ol’ boy shares a close relationship with fans, taking them inside of his country lifestyle and talking about how his grandfather inspired the project.

"The title's after the title track 'My Last Rodeo' that I wrote about my Granddaddy Buford, and something he told me before he passed away back in 2010. I didn't write this song until just recently, so it was one of the last songs to make the album, but I thought the sentiment of it kind of embodied the traditional country music sale that I think we were going for on this record," Green shares. "Also, it's been a while since we put an album out, so it's always nice to remind fans that you're writing constantly and that you got new music and it's great to have new songs to play at shows."

Last week, we attended a press conference ahead of the soft opening at Brooks' new Friends in Low Places Bar & Honky-Tonk. We were on hand as Brooks relaunched The Garth Channel on TuneIn, which has its studio overlooking the stage in the facility. During our three-minute two-on-one chat, Brooks discussed his new The Limited Series box set which features his latest album, Time Traveler, as well as whether additional albums are expected from the country superstar.

"Individual record sales aren't really out there. People do [albums] for like artwork and stuff," Brooks says. "So I don't know when it's gonna [be released individually] -- it'll eventually come out on its own. But right now it's sitting in the box."

He adds, "The whole thing of what albums are now and how music is served, I'm not sure an album is in the future of any artist. So I think right now what you want to do is just watch technology and see how people are digesting music and then we'll figure it out from there."

He also states the highly-anticipated Ireland television special from the five-night-finale of his global Stadium Tour in September 2022 is still in the production stages.

"I'm getting to see the pieces [of the film]. We're working on it a week from Sunday, too, so it's still in the evolution stages. I can tell you this. When you talk about how sweet it was -- top-tier stuff, come back stuff -- I'm going to put this up against anything we've ever shot, including Central Park. When you see it, you're not going to believe it. I can't believe it when I see."

This episode also features an interview with Natalie Cox, who's a new host on The Big 615, Brooks' flagship station with TuneIn and his Sevens Radio Network. Additionally, we talk with Blake Carter, who returns as the voice and Program Director of The Garth Channel.

We round out the episode by taking music fans inside three new exhibitions at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, profiling Patty Lovess, Eric Church and the Los Angeles country-rock scene of the 1960s and 70s.

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In August, platinum-selling, iconic country/rock band Sister Hazel released "Coconut Trees." The track was written by the band's guitarist Andrew Copeland and the late Kyle Jacobs, and was produced by Ben Jackson. The c’est la vie track is a unique blend of sounds meant to be listened to with "a little sun and rum on ice with an ocean breeze," no distractions.

"The song is actually supposed to be an upbeat, fun number. And it is. Once the band got ahold of it in the studio, it became just kind of this feel-good mantra of escaping all the worldly crap, and going and spending some time with somebody you love and someplace with some white sand and blue water and some coconut trees," Copeland tells The Music Universe. "So it's not like a super deep, super deep song. It's all about just kind of letting loose and having fun. And I think that this is the first time the band has ever used steel drums in a recording. So it's just got a kind of a happy hop to it. So I'm hoping people are digging it."

Originating from Gainesville, Florida, Sister Hazel is comprised of five gifted, seasoned musicians who are well-spring of natural talent. The song "All for You," topped the adult alternative charts during the summer of 1997 and the success propelled their album to platinum status. Since then, the band has become firmly established not only in rock and alternative music but now in country with four back-to-back Billboard Top Country Albums Chart entries. They have most recently co-produced a cleverly themed EP compilation series entitled Elements, which includes a bonus seventh track that continues throughout the series. Living up to their fan-centered reputation, the band was a pioneer in the themed cruise industry by co-founding The Rock Boat -- which will mark its 23rd anniversary in 2024 -- and annually hosts events like the Hazelnut Hang, and Camp Hazelnut that focus on creating unique experiences and interacting with the fans. 

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The Music Universe Podcast gets our wiggle on!

The Wiggles recently returned to North America for their first tour of the region since 2019. The Ready, Steady, Wiggle! Tour is a high-energy celebration of music, dancing, and endless fun, leaving children (and adults) inspired, enthralled, and eager for more. It is named after the Netflix series that has got countless children and families through the tough times of the pandemic.

The eight-piece group played three dates in the US and is touring Canada through October 8th. Concertgoers should be ready to sing, dance and wiggle their way through an unforgettable musical extravaganza of beloved Wiggles hits including "Rock-a-Bye Your Bear," "Hot Potato" and "Do the Propeller."

During the live shows, audiences will be treated to an interactive and engaging experience with the new extended lineup featuring Anthony, Simon, Tsehay, Lachy, Caterina, Lucia, John and Evie. The group is joined on stage by all their Wiggly friends including Dorothy the Dinosaur, Wags the Dog, Henry the Octopus, and Captain Feathersword.

The group is also the subject of the forthcoming documentary, Hot Potato: The Story of The Wiggles, which launches globally on Prime Video on Tuesday, October 24th in more than 240 countries and territories. The highly anticipated Australian Original documentary celebrates icons in entertainment The Wiggles, their enduring global success, and cultural impact spanning more than 30 years.

Anthony, Lachy, Simon, Tsehay, along with Caterina, John, Lucia, and even Captain Feathersword, have a great time chatting with Matt Bailey about all things Wiggles! The group recently chatted from Canada where they discussed what fans can expect from the shows, their legacy, and the documentary. Follow us for more as the Amazon documentary premieres this fall.

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Black Stone Cherry will release its eighth studio album, Screamin’ At The Sky, on September 29th via Mascot Records. The release will be available on white solid vinyl, a limited edition deluxe vinyl box set, an HMV exclusive limited edition blue vinyl, standard CD and digital formats. The deluxe box set has sold out.

Screamin’ At The Sky features all-new material written collaboratively while on tour, but when it came time to record, BSC tried something they’ve always dreamed of doing: tracking an album at The Plaza Theater in Glasgow, Kentucky - a legendary 1020-seat venue built in 1934 that boasts meticulous acoustics. In June of 2022, the band rented the whole place, and brought in all its recording equipment and trusty engineer, Jordan Westfall. They set up the basement as the control room and the stage as the live drum room. The time between recording sessions and the incredible room ambiance have resulted in a career-high watermark for BSC.

Frontman Chris Robertson joins us while en route to a show in Plano, Texas over the summer. He talks about the inspiration of the album and the decision to record in the theater.

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Equipped with an adventurous and fiery attitude, former Runaway June lead singer and chief songwriter Naomi Cooke Johnson returns with a pavement-pounding anthem, "Livin' Ain't Killed Me Yet." Semi-autobiographical, the song is a musical adrenaline rush celebrating living life to the fullest.

Co-written by Cooke Johnson alongside Phil Bentley and producer Dan Muckala, “Livin’ Ain’t Killed Me Yet” is a scorching celebration of carefree fun with a chosen family of friends.

It's the second offering after signing a solo deal with BMG/BBR Music Group.

Naomi Cooke Johnson’s life is a song worth writing and a story worth telling. Growing up impoverished with no education, Cooke Johnson found her refuge and purpose in music. She’s a real-world example of what’s possible when hope transcends hardship and a real product of the American Dream. This former lead vocalist of Runaway June, who co-wrote many of the trio’s acclaimed hits including the Top 5 smash “Buy My Own Drinks," made her official solo debut in the country music scene with a strong dose of Shania Twain sass releasing “Girls of Summer,” a spirited celebration of carefree fun with a chosen family of friends. With powerhouse vocals and an irresistibly upbeat tempo, “Girls of Summer,” was fans’ first taste of blazing new music from Cooke Johnson who has truly come into her own as a solo artist.

Cooke Johnson joins us to talk about the new song, and how she's transitioned from Runaway June frontwoman to solo artist.

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Garth Brooks has used the same studio musicians for all of his albums from 1989 to the present. This group of seven players is known as The G-Men and has worked with the country superstar for 35 years and counting, curating the "Garth Sound" that changed country music.

Drummer Milton Sledge, bassist Mike Chapman, keyboardist Bobby Wood, rhythm guitarist Mark Casstevens, lead guitarist Chris Leuzinger, steel guitarist Bruce Bouton, and fiddlist Rob Hajacos can be heard on every album Brooks has recorded, sans 1999's rock concept album, ...In The Life of Chris Gaines. Their first recording session was on August 25, 1988, at Jack's Tracks on historic Music Row in Nashville. Songs such as "Not Counting You," "I've Got A Good Thing Going, "Much Too Young (To Feel This Damn Old)," and "Nobody Gets Off In This Town" were among the first songs the group recorded live in the studio with Brooks.

Brooks is the first to see nine of his albums certified diamond for sales of 10 million each by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The country star retains the crown as the No. 1 selling solo artist in U.S. history with a total of 157 million overall, according to the RIAA, only second ever to The Beatles's 183 million.

In 2016, Brooks and the G-Men, along with producer Allen Reynolds and engineer Mark Miller, were inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in downtown Nashville. The late Joe Chambers founded the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2006, marking the only museum to honor the greatest musicians of all time. Inside, guests will find everyone from Jimi Hendrix and Elvis Presley to Glen Campbell and Hal Blaine as members of The Wrecking Crew, the famous group of Los Angeles studio musicians who recorded hundreds of top 40 hits throughout the 1960s and 70s.

During the 2023 CMA Fest, Leuzinger took The Music Universe on a tour of the facility where he talked about the history behind some of music's greatest songs Following the tour, he gave us an exclusive on-site sit-down interview, taking us further into the depths of his career, his appreciation for Chambers and his surviving widow (now-CEO Linda Chambers), and crediting Brooks with being the "the most loyal artist on the planet."

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Dreamcatcher Artists’ rising country music star Mitch Rossell captivated audiences and judges alike on NBC's America's Got Talent, leaving an indelible mark. With an incredible performance that showcased his talent, passion, and undeniable stage presence, Rossell's journey on the hit reality show garnered praise from judges, fans, and even his fellow contestants.

Throughout his time on AGT, Rossell captivated both the live audience and the esteemed panel of judges, including Simon Cowell, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel, and Sofia Vergara. His performance of his original song, “All I Need To See” on the August 22nd live semi-finals further solidified his star power. AGT Judge Sofia Vergara praised Rossell's electrifying semi-final performance, stating, "Mitch, you sing with such emotion. I mean that was such a catchy, romantic song. I think you're the perfect, perfect talent that America is gonna fall in love with."

“All I Need To See,” which has amassed over 30 million all-time streams, is a testament to his unique ability to convey deep emotions through his music. The judges gushed with praise, as Simon Cowell stated, "You are the real deal,” while Heide Klum added, “You are radio-ready. You're great. Your songs are great. You have an amazing family and you seem like a really great guy. I wish you all the best."

Judge Howie Mandel, renowned for his insight, even predicted that Rossell was "the act to beat." Although that prediction did not come to fruition, Rossell's response revealed his positive outlook. He took to social media to express his gratitude, stating, "It didn’t go our way tonight, but it’s definitely all good, y’all. I’m honestly overwhelmed and floored by the love y’all always pour on me and this music I make. From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much. You keep me going! This was a great chapter and a lot of fun. Now I'm excited to see what God has in store." Rossell extended his congratulations to finalists Lavender Darcangelo, Adrian, and Hurricane, noting their well-deserved spots in the finals.

Rossell continues his musical journey with his newly signed recording contract with Dreamcatcher Artists. The radio edit of “All I Need To See” is impacting radio now, as his dedicated fan base eagerly awaits his upcoming projects and live performances.

Rossell joins us to discuss his time on AGT, his songwriting career, being discovered by Garth Brooks, and what's ahead with his new label partnership.

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August 18th marks Ricochet's first new album in over a decade with Ricochet Then And Now... The Hits & More. The project celebrates the 90s country band's 30th anniversary of the band's formation in 1993 with newly recorded renditions of six of their classic hits along with eight new songs.

The group is best known for their chart-topping, gold-selling single, "Daddy's Money," Top 10 hits, "What Do I Know," "Love Is Stronger Than Pride," and the Top 20 "He Left A Lot To Be Desired," and are among the re-recorded tracks. We are premiering the new version of "Love Is Stronger Than Pride," which can be seen below.

Wright joins us to discuss the project, the band's role in the 90s country resurgence, and how re-recording their biggest hits can be a double-edged sword.

"When somebody would go in and re-record songs, after you've done a song on the road for several years, you tend to get a little bored with it, you start changing it," frontman Heath Wright tells The Music Universe. "And as an audience, as a fan of country music, that always bugged me, because I want to sing along. I want to sing along the way I remember hearing it on the radio. I told the guys, 'We're gonna go in and we're gonna re-record these songs. We're gonna do them exactly note for note the way they were recorded the first time.' So that's what we did. We went in and re-recorded everything, kind of gave everything a little bit of a facelift."

Despite the change in band members throughout the years, Ricochet still possesses their trademark harmonious vocal sound and is considered one of the hardest-working bands in the business. For nearly two decades, original lead vocalist Heath Wright has maintained the group’s legacy and fan base with a hefty tour schedule. Besides Wright on lead vocals and guitar, current band members are Chris Hempfling on vocals and drums, Rick Toops on vocals and keys, Bruce Bennett on vocals and bass, and Larry Hight on vocals, rhythm/lead guitar, steel, dobro, and saxophone.

Kent Blazy is an American country music songwriter who was inducted into the class of 2020 Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame during the Golden Anniversary plus one during the special 50th And 51st Gala. The Kentucky native has written several singles with Garth Brooks, and penned tracks recorded by by Gary Morris, Diamond Rio, Patty Loveless, Chris Young, and an upcoming song by Reba. Blazy has a total of seven No. 1 hits to his credit.

Blazy began playing guitar at a young age, citing The Byrds, Rodney Crowell and Joe Ely as influences. He later played for Canadian singer Ian Tyson. Later on, Blazy met former Exile member Mark Gray, who suggested that Blazy move to Nashville, Tennessee. Eventually, he signed to a publishing contract, but the publishing company closed. Despite the loss of contract, Gary Morris sent Blazy's "Headed for a Heartache" into the top 5 on the country charts.

By the late 1980s, Blazy met with a then-unknown Garth Brooks, who gave him the idea for a song entitled "If Tomorrow Never Comes." He and Brooks co-wrote the song, which went on to become Brooks' first No. 1 hit. Brooks continued to record Blazy's material throughout the 1990s, including the singles "Ain't Goin' Down ('Til the Sun Comes Up)," "It's Midnight Cinderella," "She's Gonna Make It," "Somewhere Other Than the Night" and the George Jones duet "Beer Run (B Double E Double Are You In?)." Blazy, along with songwriters Pat Alger, Tony Arata and Kim Williams, recorded an album entitled A Songwriters' Tribute to Garth Brooks, which included their renditions of songs that they had written for Brooks which was released in 2001.

He also co-wrote "That's What I Get for Lovin' You" by Diamond Rio and "Can't Get Enough" by Patty Loveless in the late 1990s and "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" by Chris Young in the 2010s, along with a 15-year-old song recently cut by Reba for consideration for her upcoming new album that's expected in 2024.

Blazy returns to The Music Universe Podcast for his third appearance, but first on camera. He chats with us about his new album, From The Beatles to The Bluebird, inspired by a 2022 visit to The Beatles' hometown of Liverpool, England. From first inspirations to endless gigs in bars to writing hit songs in Nashville Tennessee on Music Row, the album is a musical journey from the 60's English invasion winding through decades up till today.

"I got to go to Liverpool last year and you know, I'm a huge Beatle fan. And when you are at the dock, they have a life-size statues of The Beatles. And it's pretty cool because all of them are carrying something that means something to them. So if you go Google that, it's an interesting story how they did that," Blazy tells us. "But it was cold that day. And I was wearing a Bluebird sweatshirt that I had gotten when I was doing a benefit at the Bluebird a couple of weeks before that. And somebody took a picture. And when I saw the picture, I thought, God, that's a great album title -- From the Beatles to the Bluebird -- because part of my career started due to Garth [Brooks] playing 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' at the Bluebird Cafe after he'd been turned down by every record label. And somebody was in the audience to hear somebody else and told Garth, 'Maybe we missed something. Why don't you come back in?' And thanks to the Bluebird, he got a record deal and 'If Tomorrow Never Comes' ended up being his first single that went number one, so pretty cool."

The album is available at digital outlets and features 11 songs penned or co-penned by Blazy. Members of Jon Pardi's band joined him at Sound Emporium in Nashville to record the project in a day and a half.

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Instead of receiving gifts in celebration of his 87th birthday in May, iconic singer Engelbert Humperdinck gifted fans his new album, All About Love via OK! Good Records. A collection of eye-opening reinterpretations of classic love songs, reworkings of some of his own classics, and duets with two of the most-celebrated Mexican singers vocalists today (“Mexico’s Sweetheart” Angelica Maria and Grammy-nominated Mariachi star Lupita Infante), his new 13 track collection is more proof that Engelbert just gets better with age.

The four-time Grammy-nominated and multi-Platinum selling legend tackles some of the most beloved romantic tracks and puts a unique spin on them, including the No. 1 R&B hit "If You Don't Know Me By Now" which was originally released by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes in 1972 (also covered by Simply Red in 1989) and the Philly soul classic "When Will I See You Again" (originally released in 1974 by The Three Degrees). Among other tracks are The Bee Gees’ first US No. 1 (and one of the greatest love songs of the era) “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart,” Lou Rawls’ perennial classic “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine,” and Mel & Tim’s “Starting All Over Again.” Released last fall, his country-western tinged rendition of Barry White’s 1974 Gold-selling chart topper “You’re The First, The Last, My Everything” has amassed over 2.7 million views on YouTube and inspired a line-dance from its celebratory music video, which was filmed at Los Angeles’ authentic Honky-Tonk club, Cowboy Palace Saloon.

All About Love was recorded at famous Blackbird Studios with some of Nashville’s finest musicians, including Dave Cohen (Carrie Underwood, Reba McEntire, Florida Georgia Line) on keyboards, Rob McNelley (Buddy Guy, Miranda Lambert, Keith Urban) on guitars, Lex Price (Shemekia Copeland, Neko Case, Indigo Girls) on bass, Jerry Roe (LeeAnn Womack, Luke Combs, Keith Urban) on drums, Fred Eltringham (Sheryl Crow, Lucinda Williams, Willie Nelson) on drums, and even legend Charlie McCoy (Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan).

Thanks to massive awareness from creative placement of his classic hits in current and vastly popular mainstream TV shows and films, Engelbert’s popularity has exploded exponentially in recent years. The aforementioned “A Man Without Love” was featured on the Marvel Universe series Moon Knight and "Quando, Quando, Quando" found itself on Netflix's Umbrella Academy. His newly recorded version of West Ham United’s football anthem "Forever Blowing Bubbles" was featured prominently in Brad Pitt’s No. 1 runaway hit movie Bullet Train.

The legendary singer is also on tour, with stops throughout the US, Europe, South American and Asia.

Humperdinck recently chatted with us to discuss the album, touring, his career and more.

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Danielle Bradbery has come a long way since kickstarting her career and becoming the youngest artist ever to win NBC's Emmy-winning competition series The Voice at 16-years-old in 2013. Spending the past decade growing into her artistry, the Texas native has honed her skills and defined her sound while pouring her heart into lyric – earning award nominations, touring across the globe and collaborating with some of the biggest names in music including Diplo, Zac Brown Band, Thomas Rhett, Nick Jonas and more.

Facing the challenges brought on by the pandemic head on, Bradbery spent time creating music she loves, infusing her own heartfelt and personal stories into songs like "Never Have I Ever" and "Monster," the most vulnerable song she's released to date.

Penned by Bradbery alongside Lauren LaRue (Sam Hunt, Arizona Zervas, JoJo, Alana Springsteen, Jimmie Allen) and Sam De Jong (Alec Benjamin, Lennon Stella, Gracie Abrams, Marina, Little Mix), the Nathan Chapman and Derek Wells-produced track delivers a haunting chorus that carries the unbearable weight: "You always lie to me, then you lie down with me / You won’t leave and you’re so unhealthy / You’re breakin’ me, messin’ with my head / It feels like a bad dream and I wonder why I can’t sleep / When you’re here ‘cause I know the monster / He ain’t under the bed / ‘Cause he’s in it with me"

Earlier this year, Bradbery embarked on her first-ever headline A Special Place Tour where established herself a force to be reckoned with by selling out all nine stops. Following her recent collaboration with Jordan Davis on “Midnight Crisis,” Bradbery joins him on the road once again for his Damn Good Time Tour this fall.

Bradbery spoke with us earlier in the spring, ahead of her performance at The Basement East on May 18th with special guest CB30 and CMA Fest, to talk about "Monster," her first-ever headlining tour and career.

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Earlier this year, NBC premiered America’s Got Talent: All-Stars, a new extension of the powerhouse hit series featuring winners, finalists, fan favorites and viral sensations from previous seasons of America’s Got Talent and Got Talent franchises around the world. America's Got Talent season two winner Terry Fator and Romania's Got Talent winner Ana-Maria Mărgean are singing ventriloquists who both appeared on the new edition this past spring, and gave a awe-inspiring performance together.

Fourteen year old Ana-Maria Mărgean is from Bucharest, Romania who's been singing and performing since early childhood. She's performed throughout the world and has won several awards for her ventriloquism and powerful operatic-style vocals. She's also an accomplished voiceover artist and dancer.

In 2021, Mărgean won the Golden Buzzer for the 11th season of Romania's Got Talent, a year after she began working on crafting her singing ventriloquism art. She cites Fator as her biggest influence after discovering his work during the pandemic. At age 11, she won Romania's Got Talent and dreams of headlining a Las Vegas showroom.

Named the “Best Las Vegas Strip Headliner” by Las Vegas Weekly three years in a row, Terry Fator captures the audience’s hearts and funny bones with his unique brand of entertainment that combines ventriloquism, singing, comedy, and breathtaking celebrity impressions. Upon winning season two of the popular NBC show at age 42, Fator headlined his own theater at the Mirage Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas for 11 years alongside his cast of characters that include Winston, the Impersonating Turtle; Maynard Thompkins, the Elvis Impersonator; Duggie Scott Walker, the annoying neighbor, and; a host of famous singers, past and present.

Since March 2021, Fator has been headlining Terry Fator: Who’s The Dummy Now? at MGM's New York New York on the Las Vegas Strip. When he's not performing in The Entertainment Capital of the World, he can be seen on tour or visiting Disney properties around the world.

We chatted with both talented artists together in a sit down interview in Las Vegas where they discuss their path to stardom, appearing together on America's Got Talent: All Stars, their love of the stage, and current and future endeavors.

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Multi-instrumentalist and Platinum-selling artist Hunter Hayes is an embodiment of the type of musician that embraces change and strives to rewrite the rules. After debuting on the scene with a Platinum-certified album, Hayes has charted his own path, moving from his country roots into the genre-bending world that he was destined for.

On his latest album, Red Sky, the singer-songwriter is executing at the highest level of his musical career: crafting memorable melodies and instantly catchy hooks albeit with a top-notch musician’s discerning ear. His music is both a reflection of his influences, and a product of his prodigious multi-instrumental talents, reflected by the fact that he plays every instrument on his records.

His first ever fully independent album is more than a decade in the making, Hunter describes the transition from his last album saying, “[My last album] was the optimistic dreamer, looking out of a window and dreaming about adventure and Red Sky is very much the actual adventure. It has been my diary, my journal alongside a very adventurous part of my life.”

The Louisiana native has garnered over two billion on-demand global streams since the release of his debut album, along with six Gold and Platinum-certified singles. In addition to his legendary headlining shows, Hayes has also toured with superstars like Taylor Swift, and has headlined sold out shows across the US, Canada, Europe, and Asia. With over 50 award nominations and wins, including five Grammy nominations, Hayes is just getting started.

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Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil is staying busy with his band and judging the AXS TV competition show Banded. The 90 minutes season finale of the groundbreaking show airs tonight (Sat, July 1st), and redefines the traditional “build-a-band” concept that showcases exceptional up-and-coming artists who can play, write, and sing their own music.

The series features a roster of legendary mentors and guest judges, including Neil, Kip Winger, early 2000's chart-topping country star Steve Azar, Vans Warped Tour mastermind Kevin Lyman, and world-class rock drummer Mark Schulman, among others.

GameTV will be the exclusive Canadian broadcaster of the series which will air every Saturday at 7 pm ET beginning July 8th.

Neil, who is currently in Europe on The World Tour with Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard, chats with us via video from London to discuss Banded, new music and life after The World Tour.

Last week, Mötley Crüe teased a London club show under the pseudonym Dögs of War which took place last night (Fri, June 30th) in a 450-capacity venue in London. The teaser video also included a snippet of a new song called "Dögs of War," which they were expected to premiere at the show, but played their version of the Beastie Boys' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)." Neil confirms both "Dögs of War" and "Fight" are among multiple new tracks the group has recorded with producer Bob Rock.

The Live Nation-produced The World Tour returns to the United States for eight dates in August with Australian and Japanese dates set for November. The global trek is an extension of last year's The Stadium Tour which was named the biggest North American stadium tour of 2022 with more than 1.3 million tickets sold, and marks the first with new Mötley Crüe guitarist John 5 who's replaced Mick Mars after leaving the band due to his health.

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Earlier this month, CMA Fest marked its 50th anniversary in Nashville with four straight days celebrating record-breaking milestones and more. The golden anniversary of the legendary festival delivered everything country music fans could want as an estimated more than 90,000 fans attended the festivities in Downtown Nashville each day, cementing a new attendance record for the largest and longest-running country music festival in the world.

Unlike other festivals, CMA Fest acts donate their time to perform so ticket proceeds can directly benefit high-quality music education initiatives across the country through the CMA Foundation.

Reporter Matt Bailey was on hand to capture the action and conduct interviews with some country legends, established artists and newer acts. He attended countless events, including the Nissan Stadium Nightly Concerts where Alabama was honored with the CMA Pinnacle Award, and had the rare opportunity to interact with Reba McEntire during her Artist of the Day on the CMA Close Up Stage panel. The latter moment is featured in this episode.

This episode marks our longest one yet, clocking it at just over 100 minutes with guests including Kidd G, Pillbox Patti, Jake Worthington, Ian Munsick, Travis Denning, Chrissy Metz, Callista Clark and more. We have three very special interviews with Rita Wilson, Kimberly Perry and Randy and Mary Travis, who all discuss their music and careers.

Following CMA Fest, Bailey attended a No. 1 party for Tyler Hubbard's "9 Foot 5" and "Dancin' in the Country" which included a surprise appearance by Keith Urban. Matt's question to both artists can be seen in this episode.

We wrap the feature length episode with coverage of Garth Brooks and TuneIn launching The Big 615, a new global country radio station that's hosted by former GAC-TV and SiriusXM personality Storme Warren. The Big 615 is the flagship station of Brooks' Sevens Radio Network, exclusively on TuneIn, and launched June 15th with a new single from the country legend. The stations featured on the network are conceived and directed by Brooks with more on the way.

All CMA Fest coverage can be seen at our website.

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Emerging with a sharp signature style and an unrivaled live presence proven one gig at a time, Platinum-certified rising Texas-based country rock band Pecos & The Rooftops release their major label self-titled debut album today (Fri, June 23rd) via Warner Records. The hard workin’, hard rockin’ sextet’s anxiously awaited full-length features "The Last Thing I Remember" and "5 AM," the latter of which has already reeled in 4.5 million global streams and 291K YouTube views on the lyric video.

Pecos & The Rooftops have been perfecting a signature heavy blend of lowdown country and classic rock since their inception with the band living in a big five-bedroom house in Lubbock, Texas. Formed in 2019 by a tight-knit squad of college friends, the band outfits their soulful Americana with muscular guitar grit yet remains tuneful and melodic. They’ve carved out a singular niche for themselves in the rich songwriting tradition of their home state, as evidenced by their debut Warner Records single "5 AM," released in March. Anchored by the heart-baring songwriting and booming voice of former Marine Pecos Hurley, the band is rounded out by top-tier players and songwriters Brandon Jones on rhythm guitar, Zack Foster on lead guitar, Kalen Davis on bass, Garrett Peltier on drums and Hunter Cassell on guitars and keys.

Hurley chats with us about the project, touring and where the name "Rooftops" originates.

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Country music pioneer Colt Ford has released Must Be The Country, his new 24 track collection featuring collaborations with Tracy Lawrence, Brantley Gilbert, Sam Grow, Tracy Byrd, and more. The project was released on his own Average Joes Entertainment and marks his first full length project in three years.

The album took shape while battling eye cancer and recovering from an intensive surgery to remove the tumor. Following his successful fight against cancer, Ford has been diagnosed with Myasthenia Gravis, an autoimmune disorder that destroys neuromuscular connections and affects the muscles in the face. Despite his recent struggle with personal health, Ford has exhibited his enduring human spirit and continues to tour the nation as well as write and record new projects slated for release later this year.

Ford joins us to chat about the new project, future new music, his diagnosis, and how he's pioneered the country/rap movement.

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3 Doors Down and Finger Eleven are two of the biggest rock bands to have emerged out of the 90s. Both bands are hitting the road this summer on their own respective tours, but we spoke with 3 Doors Down guitarist Chris Henderson and Finger Eleven's Scott Anderson about their careers, including the latter's first-ever collection of hits and vinyl.

Formed in 1996, Grammy Award-nominated multi-Platinum Mississippi rock band 3 Doors Down consistently captivates audiences worldwide. The quintet’s many accolades include selling more than 20 million albums globally, receiving a Grammy nomination, two American Music Awards, and five BMI Pop Awards for songwriting, including ”Songwriter of the Year.” Their debut, The Better Life, became certified seven times RIAA Platinum and was fueled by the success of juggernaut hit ”Kryptonite.” Away From The Sun has been certified five times Platinum. In 2023, to celebrate the anniversary of Away From The Sun, the band will play all the songs from the album and all their hits in Amphitheaters across the US.

One of Canada’s best-selling bands, Juno Award-winning rockers Finger Eleven have built a long-lasting legacy with their genre-defying sound -- spanning cathartic metal and alt-rock balladry to danceable funk, power pop, and beyond -- that continues to keep fans on their toes. The band’s story begins in 1990, when vocalist Scott Anderson, guitarist Rick Jackett, guitarist James Black, bassist Sean Anderson, and drummer Rob Gommerman (later replaced by Rich Beddoe and Steve Molella in 2013) began playing together in high school. In 1995, the Burlington, Ontario five-piece released their debut, Letters from Chutney, under the moniker Rainbow Butt Monkeys, before recording their first LP as Finger Eleven, Tip. The album, which was produced by Arnold Lanni (Our Lady Peace, Simple Plan), caught the attention of Wind-up Records, who signed the band in 1997 and re-released Tip a year later. This summer, Finger Eleven will play festivals across the US.

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